1 Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector that is particularly sorted for the resilient contacting of contact faces of a battery
2 Description of the Prior Art
Portable electrical or electronic appliances normally use a rechargeable battery as a power source. The battery has contact faces which, when inserted in the electronic or electrical appliance, are contacted by a contact incorporating resilient contact elements.
WO97/45900 discloses a connector for rechargeable batteries. The connector consists of an insulating contact-receiving housing, in which resilient contacts are arranged. The resilient contacts make the connection between a printed-circuit board and the contact faces of the rechargeable battery. The contacting region of the contact element that is touching the contact face is connected via a spring region to the connection region which is for connection to the printed-circuit board. The contacting region has a convex surface for contacting the contact faces of the rechargeable battery.
Since it is desirable for portable appliances that overall dimensions and weight be minimized, the connector must be designed to be as small and compact as possible. The spring force of the contacts must be high and must be maintained for the entire lifetime of the connector. Furthermore, in order to prevent wear and damage to the contacting region of the contact, as the battery will be repeatedly removed and reinserted, the contact pressure must be kept as low as possible. Higher flexibility of the contact may entail a greater degree of sensitivity to vibrations. In automotive applications, vibrations cannot be ruled out. In the case of sensitive electronic appliances, such as, for example, portable telephones, vibrations often result in brief interruptions in the power supply, this is undesirable for the functioning of the electronic components.